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Cold call. It’s a phrase that scares and frightens even the most seasoned realtors. What if you make a mistake? Say the wrong thing? Are you hanging up?
My answer? What if you did? It’s OK; it’s part of the learning process. The cold calls to FSBOs and expired ones in particular is what got me started in this business at the ripe old age of 19.
While this may sound terrifying to some of you – and I know it does – what I like to teach agents is that it’s all about perspective. When you call to “book” a date, “sell” someone, or “tech” the person on the other end of the line, it’s scary – because it’s not genuine and it’s not not liked.
It’s a “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Do you want to be “taken”, “sold” or “engineered”? Of course not. The alternative is to come from a place of duty. Call with a sincere desire to help. That, my friends, makes all the difference.
What is telephone canvassing?
Simply put, cold calling it’s when you reach out to someone with whom you have no prior relationship. Cold calling can be beneficial because it allows you to connect with people who may not yet know about your real estate business. This makes it a great way for agents to introduce themselves, show their value and expertise, and showcase their services to potential clients.
Tips for making a good first impression on your potential customers
Let’s take some of the fear out of the process for you and help get you started on the idea of making calls more efficiently and coming from the right place and the right mindset. This will not only help you succeed faster; it will make you much more efficient than many of your competitors who just “dial for money” using predefined scripts.
Here are some tips to ensure that your first impression with potential customers is positive:
Know your audience: Before making calls, it is important to know who you are targeting and why.
- Are you looking to sell a particular property?
- Are you trying to find new listings?
- Are you trying to carve out a new agricultural area?
- Do you have a specific niche with specific needs?
Knowing exactly who your audience is and what they need will help you craft effective messages and get better results from your cold calling efforts.
Be ready : It is important to do your research before making any cold calls. Know your market insights and know what’s important to consumers right now, and be ready to answer those questions.
If you’re calling FSBOs, for example, make sure their ad is displayed in front of you so you can reference it. We don’t believe in pre-made scripts; we prefer to teach agents to be present in conversations and to use dialogues that can help them stay on track without having to worry about memorized speech.
Make sure the person you’re talking to knows you’re a Resource for them and there to help them, not someone trying to “sell” them. Also take notes throughout the call so you can refer to them later and write them down in your CRM.
Don’t let your fear control you: Nelson Mandela once said, “I learned that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not the one who has no fear, but the one who conquers that fear.” This is a message for all of us, especially if you face fear in your business.
It’s okay to have that fear, but it’s not okay to continually let fear have you or allow it to control whether or not you succeed. Just pick up the phone. It doesn’t matter how well you do; just call.
When you focus on helping the person on the other end of the line, the fear will fade because it’s not about winning and losing. It’s about connecting with another human being for a good reason.
Have a goal in mind: Cold calling can take time, so it helps to have a goal in mind before making calls.
- What do you expect from each call?
- Looking for leads or appointments?
- Do you want people to sign up for emails or newsletters?
- Are you organizing a workshop for new owners and you want them to participate?
Having specific goals will help keep each call focused and maximize your chances of success – and it will also give direction to your conversations when they start to veer off course.
Be polite and respectful: This should go without saying for real estate professionals. How we talk to people, especially when making a first impression, really matters.
I’m a big proponent of speaking from the heart, but it’s also wise to prepare dialogues or talking points before making calls. Like I said, I’m not a fan of pre-made scripts because they can seem dishonest, pushy, or commercial, but if you take the time to listen carefully to what your potential customers have to say, you’ll know how to help them. at.
Ask questions about them and their possessions, and think about cold call like a simple conversation between two human beings.
Be brief: When making a cold call, it is important to be brief and to the point. You don’t want to overwhelm the person on the other end with too much information; Instead, focus on your presentation and explain why they should be interested in working with you in a few sentences.
Be ready to answer any questions they may have about your services or prices. This will help ensure that your call is concise yet informative.
Know when to move on: Sometimes, however, things don’t always go as planned, and that’s okay. Not everyone will be interested in what you offer right away, but the point is to establish the connection so that they begin to recognize your name, your face and what you do for a living.
That’s why it’s important to recognize when a conversation isn’t going anywhere just yet and move forward gracefully without becoming discouraged. It’s also important not to take rejection personally – just keep moving forward and stay focused on finding new leads and making new contacts.
Follow: The key to success cold calling follows up after your first contact with potential clients or clients. After each call, be sure to send an email summarizing what was discussed and providing any relevant information requested during the call. This will help build trust and increase the likelihood that they will use your services.
Also, if they haven’t responded within a certain time frame – say, two weeks – it would be wise to follow up with another phone call or email to make sure they haven’t gotten to you. forgot.
Cold calling can be a daunting prospect for many real estate agents, but it doesn’t have to be. Realtors can turn cold calls into warm leads with practice and preparation, and as it becomes second nature, they will ultimately generate more sales for their business.
So go ahead, pick up the phone – you’ll be able to master the art of cold calling in no time and generate leads like a pro.